Lollar Pickups El Rayo Humbuckers
The humbucker hunt may be over. Episode 4 — the Lollar El Rayo Humbuckers in the Gibson SG Standard '61 Reissue, and they might just be the best humbucker I've ever played. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
Catch the full series here:
Stock Gibson Burstbuckers: https://youtu.be/xcC6wLci1DY
Seymour Duncan Antiquities: https://youtu.be/ntlHT09FXxA
Fralin Pure PAF: https://youtu.be/lPHmESPyyxs
The Lollar El Rayo is unlike any humbucker in Jason Lollar's lineup — designed specifically for single-coil players who want humbucker real estate without the humbucker compromises. The numbers tell the story: 3.5K DC at neck, 4.0K at bridge. These are extraordinarily low output figures for a humbucker — and they produce a percussive, articulate quality that sits closer to a single-coil pickup than any traditional PAF-style humbucker.
The design is deliberately unusual. Alnico 5 in the neck, Alnico 8 in the bridge — two completely different magnet materials creating two distinct voices within the same aesthetic. Specially formulated copper wire. A flat frequency response without the heavy mid-range bump that makes most humbuckers feel compressed and thick compared to single coils. Don't be fooled by the low DC numbers — the El Rayo has strong output and a meaty growl when pushed. It just doesn't compress and flatten when you dig in. Instead, you get clear distortion that stays articulate under high gain — exactly what a Gibson SG on a pushed amp wants from its pickups.
Premier Guitar called it a design that "effectively bridges single-coil and humbucker voices." That's exactly right. If you've spent your guitar life in Strat territory and always found humbuckers too dark, too compressed, or too lacking in note separation — this is the pickup that changes that.
The Gibson SG Standard '61 Reissue is now fully modded: Emerson Custom SG Wiring Kit, Emerson Custom Treble Bleeds on both volume knobs, StewMac bone nut and Locking Kluson Tuners, Callaham stainless steel stop tail, saddle, and bridge kit. The platform is sorted. Now the pickups are too.
🎸 Lollar El Rayo Humbuckers: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-humbucker-pickups/el-rayo-humbucker
🔧 Emerson Custom SG Wiring Kit: https://emersoncustom.com
🔧 Callaham Stainless Steel Hardware: https://callahamguitars.com
🔧 StewMac Bone Nut & Locking Kluson Tuners: https://www.stewmac.com
Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.
🎸 Gibson SG Standard '61 Reissue | Lollar El Rayo Humbuckers | Emerson Custom SG Wiring Kit & Treble Bleeds | Callaham Stainless Steel Hardware | StewMac Bone Nut & Locking Kluson Tuners
🔊 Benson Amps Vincent
